Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-38506

HighPublic PoC

Published: 21 June 2024

Published
21 June 2024
Modified
11 April 2025
KEV Added
Patch
CVSS Score v3.1 8.2 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L
EPSS Score 0.0047 65.0th percentile
Risk Priority 17 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2023-38506 is a high-severity Cross-site Scripting (CWE-79) vulnerability in Joplin Project Joplin. Its CVSS base score is 8.2 (High).

Operationally, ranked in the top 35.0% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability details

Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows pasting untrusted data into the rich text editor to execute arbitrary code. HTML pasted into the rich text editor is not sanitized (or…

more

not sanitized properly). As such, the `onload` attribute of pasted images can execute arbitrary code. Because the TinyMCE editor frame does not use the `sandbox` attribute, such scripts can access NodeJS's `require` through the `top` variable. From this, an attacker can run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.10 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.

Affected Assets

joplin project
joplin
≤ 2.12.10

Mitigating Controls

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-79

Penetration testing submits XSS payloads to web applications, detecting cross-site scripting flaws for subsequent remediation.

addresses: CWE-79

Validates web inputs to reject script-related content that could produce XSS.

addresses: CWE-79

Output validation against expected content can reject or sanitize script content in generated web pages, reducing XSS exploitability.

References